Second Analysis By Ross Ewing

I’m looking at the film “The usual suspects” were, lighting and camera work and sound are used as a combination to put the audience in a mystified state
We start of with the first shot, a fade in from black and then strait to action with the dramatic light of the close up matches, to reflect the opening sequence that it’s going to get, right into dramatic action, which it does. Were then introduced to the first figure of the film how is alone and surrounded by darkness and fire, his expressions show that his rather resentful and down.
Were then presented with un-restricted narration, we see a barrel leaking liquid after seeing a lighted match and cigarette were lead down a path were we expect some form of fire of explosion, then we begin a sequence of shots were again we are lead to the next dramatic shot, so all the time we are being lead form scene to scene but in this case by the fire, and then a tilt to follow the falling water were we find the next character. Then a cut to the first character were his movement depicts a tension between the characters, we then follow the second character down the stairs with another tilt down were we see his feet central with really sharp tinny sound of the foot steps to build up the tension of when the two characters will meet ?. The second character is still set out of shot, so that the misery still lingers over his identity. Once again at this point we are shown un-restricted narration were we are shown the weapon and the character and we expect what coming. Then the gun is raised with a point of view were the gun is aimed at the camera, and then we get long establishing shots of the location, to show the echo and the emptiness of the area. We then are again shown the barrel of flammable liquid, so we can tell what’s coming.
So as an audience we are constantly in control and understand and can predict what is going to happen.
Sound is very clean and crisp you can hear the match sparks the water dripping the footsteps, it’s all very menacing. The sound is also covered by the music that is violence the pace changes as the mood that is felt by the audience. As the second character walks down and we here the mystifying tone of the soundtrack as the identity of the character is masked by the dark the silhouettes him. We also hear the dialogue between the two characters the tone is the low and the conversation is short this would reflect on the personality and how we feel towards them from the camera work and sound that is presented with the mystifying second character we as the audience are supposed to feel badly towards him, he remains in the dark and the music suggests the dramatic feeling towards him. Where as the first character we are presented with we feel differently towards, the sound doesn’t start with him so we are left with the parallel sound which is actually there or what the audience is supposed to think that’s there. This makes us feel neutral towards him we are left with no sound to guide us towards our feelings of him. Although the reckless action he undergoes makes us feel rather sourly to him.
So to conclude throughout this film we are lead to each scene by the camera work to gain certain feelings towards each character, the lighting and sound just help towards our own conclusion of our feeling to the film and people in it.
by Ross Ewing